Actor reinventions from Neeson to Nielsen

Liam Neeson's Non-Stop comes out Friday, making it the 86th movie he's made since Taken where he's awesomely broken a thug's arm like a toothpick.

He used to be a respected actor, but honestly, isn't his career much cooler now?

Here's a list of the top 10 best actor career re-inventions:

10. Liam Neeson

Before: Highly-respected, classically-trained actor

After: Ruthless action hero

Neeson could have kept winning Oscars and starring as wise teachers in Star Wars prequels -- or he could save the world from the scourges of human traffickers, hijackers and CGI gods. Doesn't seem like a tough decision.

9. The Rock

Before: In-ring entertainer, formerly known as Dwayne Johnson

After: Out-of-ring entertainer, formerly known as The Rock

After turning in some duds like The Game Plan and Tooth Fairy, Dwayne Johnson's emerged as one of the biggest action stars in the world, yet people still cannot smell what he's cooking.

8. Ben Affleck

Before: Talent-less hack

After: Talented director

It's like Affleck got injected with Sidney Lumet's DNA when he went away for a few years after his disastrous Gigli/Paycheck/Surviving Christmas/Jersey Girl run.

Now he's directing Oscar-winning films. And playing Batman. And generally not being awful.

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7. Shirley Temple

Before: Angelic child star

After: Uncontroversial politician

Most child stars end up as drunks, pill-poppers or contestants on Celebrity Boxing. Yet the biggest child star of them all was the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Makes sense.

6. Robin Williams

Before: Wild-and-crazy comedian

After: Guy who can actually act

Williams proved in Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting that he was a more than capable screen presence. He zips where everyone else zags, which is how he's changed yet again, this time to being a less-funny version of his original self.

5. Michael Chiklis

Before: Chunky, lovable cop

After: Powerful, scary cop

Season 2 of True Detective should be a mismatched buddy cop comedy featuring Tony Scali from The Commish and Vic Mackey from The Shield teaming up together. Chiklis will figure it out.

4. Betty White

Before: Old star of The Golden Girls

After: Older star of The Golden Girls, except funnier

She's a good sport.

3. Mark Hamill

Before: Sci-fi hearthrob

After: Voice-acting maestro

If you've watched a cartoon version of The Joker in the past 20 years, chances are you heard Mark Hamill, as Luke Skywalker's voice is the most famous and highest-regarded portrayal of The Joker.

Well, maybe aside from that other guy who played him in The Dark Knight.

2. Bryan Cranston

Before: Goofy sitcom player

After: Scary, intense force of nature

Who would have thought the father from Malcolm in the Middle had it in him to play a terrifying, murderous drug dealer? Next you're going to tell me that the guy from Forgetting Sarah Marshall will play David Foster Wallace.

Oh wait, that's happening too.

1. Leslie Nielsen

Before: Bit player in '70s dramas

After: Hilarious star of movies that made fun of '70s dramas

Nielsen's deadpan delivery was so good because he had honed that tone by playing doctor and cop roles straight for years.

To Ed Helms, a guy who's grown up in comedy and who will attempt to remake The Naked Gun, I just want to tell him, "Good luck, we're all counting on you."